We had a classic Danny Dyer chat with the EastEnders star and this is what happened

It’s an old tagline but the phrase ‘EastEnders – everyone is talking about it’ could never be more true than it is at the moment.

The show has spent a year throwing big twists, huge drama and sensational performances at us – and as a result, has two of its biggest stars of 2015 shortlisted for the Best Dramatic Performance at the National Television Awards.

Danny Dyer has had a rollercoaster of a year as Mick Carter with the culmination of Linda’s rape story, the death of his father Stan and his broken relationship with his mum Shirley.

We recently caught up with the man himself for a chat about being up against Rakhee Thakrar in the NTAs, whether we might see Dean back, what exactly is going on with Whitney, his next big adventure and why his fans and the public who watch EastEnders are the most important people to him.

So you’re heading to Sierra Leone for Sport Relief. Can you tell us about that?

I’m honoured, more than anything. It’s going to be a life changing experience. I’m going to a place which has been badly infected and there are a lot of orphans.

I’ve said to them that I don’t want to know too much of the scientific side, I want to go on a human level and bring a different audience to the table that might never normally pick up the phone. It’s to raise awareness, it’s so nerve wracking but an important thing.

The details are still being finalised but I’m going out mid February – it’ll be a powerful experience. I’m looking forward to it.

You’re up for Best Dramatic Performance at the NTAs? Do you reckon you have a chance at winning?

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I don’t know, I always go in thinking I’m not going to. I won it last year which was a beautiful thing. I was up against Kellie [Bright, who plays Linda], one of my best friends and my partner in crime.

Like I said, I go in not thinking it’s mine so my speech – well, anything can come out my mouth! I’m going to blag it, that’s my vibe. It’s nice to be up for it, it’s a lovely feeling. It’s petrifying as the O2 is the big one. Who knows, maybe I can nick it, do an Ant and Dec?

This year, you’re up against your co-star Rakhee Thakrar, who plays Shabnam…

Yeah, she’s a beautiful actress, a lvely human being. We’ll just let nature take its course, I wish her the best, I just want one of us to win it. It’s a no brainer – respect to the other two.

It’s weird to have two of us from EastEnders in there – Hollyoaks deserve a shout, they work double hard so I think they should have had something in the category. They have great actors. I was in Hollyoaks Later, so it’s close to my heart.

Could it be EastEnders’ year again for Best Serial Drama?

You never know, do you? I think I’m in the best soap in the world, I really do believe that. We have great actors, the best team, I think it’s an iconic place. It’s an area of London – that’s why I love it. I’m East London through and through.

Your Corries and Emmerdales cover a whole area or county whereas we’re just a small part of London. We’re a mad old bunch, and I’m so proud to be in the show. I’m so proud of the place we’re at and long may it continue.

What has been your highlight of the year?

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The wedding was beautiful thing – I’ve never been married on screen before. Kellie giving birth was a highlight too. Winning the NTA last year was a massive thing for me as well – I had to fight back the tears. You’ll know as a journalist that I was maybe a bit of a laughing stock for a couple of years – the idea of me being anyone’s favourite actor would have been a ridiculous statement.

Suddenly the public are voting and I’ve touched people and they can identify with the character and think I can act – and that made me feel really emotional.

I appreciate all the awards but that one said so much about the public.

We should never forget we are nothing without the public – too many celebrities forget that. I might have a rant about that if I win. All us lot sitting in those seats – we’re no better than anyone and the public feed our children in a way. They take an interest in us and some people dismiss them but they’re everything. The public care and we should care just as much.

We’re all the same – I just have a bit of a weird job. I’m just a peasant from a council estate who happens to have a mad job!

What could happen with Whitney? She has been sniffing around Mick…

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The whole Whitney thing – Mick doesn’t know her past. She’s brilliant Shona [McGarty, who plays her] – those stories they threw at her at a young age; she dealt with that beautifully. Whitney’s searching for this father figure. She respects Mick as a parent – something she missed as a child. She’s taken a shine to him – something is going to happen but have faith in Mick and Linda’s love. It’s true, true love – we don’t see that enough in soapland.

You said right at the beginning that you didn’t want Mick and Linda to ever cheat on each other…

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It’s a serial, long running drama so you need storyline and affairs happen a lot in real life. It happens to a lot of couples. Me and Kellie fight for having a perfect on screen couple – no-one’s totally perfect but why can’t a couple have this love and lust for each other and adore each other for 20 years? Hopefully, while it’s not our call, there’s no affair. There’ll be drama and dark moments but they’ll get each other through it.

Could we see Dean back in the near future?

I think we dealt with it in the right way. People who are raped are unfortunately attacked by someone they know and don’t go to the police. We wanted to highlight that. It’s such a powerful subject and within the justice system, so many get away with it because people don’t report it and it’s one word against theirs. People said it dragged on, but this is the reality. Linda didn’t speak up for a few months, we got him nicked, I bashed him up a bit – not enough for my liking – but it could be hard for a jury to think Dean would rape someone.

It was dealt with the right way that he didn’t die – Mick saved him, thinking ‘you’re going to suffer you f*****g disgusting human being and you don’t deserve to slip into a peaceful death.’ Who knows what the future will hold? He’s going to do a bit of bird, there’s no two ways about it. Matt [di Angelo, who played Dean] played it beautifully. I needed a nemesis in the show – and unfortunately for Matt that was Dean!

He was never going to win that one, was he?

Nah, he was never going to come off best with me darling, don’t you worry about that. I was really proud to be a part of those storylines, though.

What was it like filming Mick’s stag night?

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One of the things I said at the start was: ‘I want Oasis.’ They didn’t reckon we could get that what with Liam and Noel not speaking. So we got Noasis, a big band, very busy people and they were very freaked out to be in the Vic. But that first shot when I walk out, look across when I think I’m not having that stag, that was magic. But for them to give me that input into the planning of it was amazing – they asked me what my dream stag would be and it’s gotta be having it large in the Queen Vic with Oasis in the corner – there’s nothing better than that my old son.

Dean got his clump, I got to snog Scott Maslen [who plays Jack] as well which was a beautiful thing. It’s the start of a blossoming friendship and what a way to start it. It can only go upwards from now. Some of the stuff I’ve got coming up with Scott is great, I’m really looking forward to that, Jack and Mick are going to become great friends.